Klaroline AUs
by 3119Fangirl
Summary: An ongoing story filled with a bunch of AUs for Klaroline, some of which are multi-part/have epilogues. Just little drabbles and stuff that I pulled from Tumblr and Pinterest. Rated for safety, because who knows what future prompts could bring.


Caroline's fingers shake as she presses the keypad on her phone, so beyond angry that she can't even find an emotion to describe how she feels. Maybe that's how she manages to mistype just one single number before dialing.

The call connects, and she starts on her tirade immediately, determined not to let Tyler get a word in edgewise.

"Don't you dare say a single word. I don't want to hear anything that comes out of your mouth right now, not after all the shit you've put me through. You know, I was actually willing to forgive and forget the first time you left me. The second time, too. But then you left for a third time on this 'journey of self-discovery' and have the balls to come back with that stupid whore on your arm? I waited for you for _months_, Tyler. Months that I wasted thinking, by some delusion I had let myself believe, you actually cared enough to come back to me and me alone. I feel so _fucking_ stupid for trusting you, and that's not even the worst part. Do you want to know what the worst part is? The worst part is that after everything, I still can't hate you. I want to so badly, but I can't. Which is why I hate myself so much right now that it just _hurts_. So there. I've said my bit. Anything you care to try and defend yourself with?"

There's a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then a voice speaks. One that Caroline has never heard before.

"Well, I'm fairly certain I'm not the one that speech was meant for, but ten out of ten for content, love. Has me concerned for whatever poor bloke named Tyler got on your bad side. Well deservedly, I'm assuming, based on your little tirade."

Caroline yanks her phone away from her ear, swearing audibly as she notices the incorrect number.

"I'm so, so sorry. I dialed the completely wrong number. I'm sorry to bother you."

"Trust me, it's no bother. My alternative is going back downstairs to the single worst family dinner on the planet, so getting a wrong number call from a beautiful woman is certainly a preferable situation."

Simmering down from the anger she had stockpiled for Tyler, Caroline laughs. Actually, honest to God laughs. She hasn't done that since before Tyler waltzed into the Salvatore house with that skank draped over his arm like she'd been there all her life.

"How do you know if I'm beautiful or not? You can't even see me."

"Trust me, love. I can just tell."

Caroline all but collapses onto the sofa behind her, playing with the fringe on the blanket as she talks.

"Oh, really? What do I look like, then?"

The man hmms, and Caroline can hear a chair creak on the other end. It's another moment before he answers.

"Blonde, for sure. Slightly above average height, I'm guessing. Maybe brown eyes?"

Laughing quietly, Caroline curls her feet up onto the couch next to her. An indescribable warmth fills her stomach, a feeling that she hasn't felt since she and Tyler first started dating. And it's so refreshing.

"Blue-green, actually. But you're right on both of the other counts. I'm a 5'8" blonde."

This time when the man hmms, it's two octaves lower, almost a growl. That single sound is enough to make Caroline blush, imagining herself kissing her way up his torso as that very sound escapes from between his lips…

No. She can't think like that. Those are dangerous thoughts, especially for someone that she just met, someone whose name she doesn't know and whose face she's never seen.

But the subconscious is an impossible thing to control, so the thoughts at the back of her mind continue to stray to dark places. She keeps talking in an effort to cease them.

"What about you? I'm not nearly as good at this guessing game, so maybe you could be nice and just tell me?"

Caroline tries to sound as sweet as she can, and she hears a laugh on the other end.

"Normally I would make you work for it, but in light of you rescuing me from my family, I suppose that I can make an exception. After all, my features are much the same as yours: dark blue-green eyes, dark blond hair, slightly above average height. Handsome, too."

Biting back a smile, Caroline rolls her eyes.

"I think you forgot egotistical."

"No, love, just a very good idea of my own self-worth. Shame that you don't seem to share that characteristic. From how I'm picturing you, your self-worth should be the most absolute thing about you."

Caroline frowns, switching her phone to the other hand.

"Stop calling me 'love'. I have a name, you know."

"I would have to know it to call you by it, sweetheart."

Her frown deepens. Is that the best idea? To give her name to this stranger? Even just her first one?

He must notice her hesitation, because he speaks again before she can even truly consider responding.

"Klaus Mikaelson. Well, Niklaus, but I only go by Klaus. Look me up on Google, if you like."

Pausing, Caroline thinks that over for a moment. Then she grabs her laptop from the coffee table, quickly entering 'Niklaus Mikaelson' into Google. The first two results are news articles about a group of siblings from a high ranking family that emigrated from the UK to New Orleans. She clicks on the first article, scanning through it quickly. Her eyes settle on a picture in the middle of the article, darting over the faces of the men pictured. One stoic and clean-cut, another rugged and smirking, another stone-faced and tense, and yet another dark-skinned and confident.

But it was the man on the end that caught her eye. Short, dark blonde curls, short stubble, and a pair of striking blue-green eyes that bore into Caroline's very soul even just from this small photograph.

"They don't look like they would be too bad. But I suppose I know a thing or two about putting on appearances."

Klaus sighs, and Caroline hears another creak on his end of the phone.

"Too right. Marcel, the black man, is only a Mikaelson because he married my sister, Rebekah. She was the one to take his name, of course. Couldn't get out of our family fast enough. But he's a tolerable, sometimes even enjoyable presence."

Caroline laughs under her breath, a sad smile crossing her features. She's always wished her mother had more kids than just her. Then she wouldn't be so alone now that both of her parents are dead.

"Tell me about the others."

"Well, Elijah is the mediator, the one who's always keeping the rest of us in line when we push the limits a little too much. Finn is the righteous one, the one who still hasn't quite gotten over our mother's death. Kol uses women like tissues, but he's softhearted. Rebekah is a hopeless romantic at heart, and we butt heads constantly, but at the end of the day, we would die for each other without hesitation. Freya… I'm not sure. I haven't seen my oldest sister in years. She always felt like an outsider in our family, and when she came of age, she took off. I haven't seen her since. Then there's Henrik, my youngest brother. He's only a teenager, but he's much smarter than all of us. A bit shy, which my father doesn't appreciate, but his intuition makes up for it. He's truly good, something that can't be said for any of my other siblings, myself included."

A silence falls over the pair for a moment, and Caroline takes the chance to absorb the situation. Here she is, chatting on the phone with someone she only dialed by accident, behaving as if they're old friends. She knows that they only just met, but she can't help but feel like they've known each other forever. Is that so terrible?

"What about you? Any aggravating family to speak of?"

"…No. Just me. Well, I have two friends that I've known since kindergarten that are basically like sisters to me, but we're not related by blood. Same with my best friend's ex, although we only met a few years ago. Stefan's just weird like that, though; he builds relationships like I build pyramids at halftime."

"Ah, so you're a cheerleader. High school?"

"No, sophomore in college."

"Which one? Maybe I know it."

Caroline opened her mouth to respond, her lips forming the first part of "Whitmore", before her head caught up to the rest of her, and her mouth snapped shut again. Giving the chair in front of her a bitter smile, she changed her response.

"Ah, ah, ah. You're not getting me that easily. You might have told me your name, but that doesn't mean that I'm comfortable telling you mine."

"Fair enough. What other topics do you wish to discuss, then, love?"

That thought stumped Caroline for a moment. She wasn't used to people being interested in her. Elena always talked about her problems, Bonnie could prattle about Jeremy for hours, Stefan was always hung up on his latest spat with Damon, and Tyler—when he was still in the picture—was his own favorite subject. That was the single thing that he had in common with her lovelorn best friend: they were habitually selfish, a trait that Caroline worked hard to purge from herself over the years.

So, as per usual, Caroline found herself more interested in talking about others.

"I don't know. How's New Orleans this time of year? I've never been, but I've always wanted to."

"I can always get you a ticket, sweetheart. Fly you out to meet me."

Laughing, Caroline shook her head.

"Wow, do you offer that expensive of gifts to everyone who calls you by accident?"

"I can't say that I have ever done this before."

"Well, I certainly feel special."

"You should. You should be treated like a queen, and obviously this ex of yours wasn't doing that."

Whatever response Caroline had prepared fell from her lips with that last sentence. A few of her boyfriends had their own ways with words, but they never talked about what _they_ could do for her. It was always how pretty she was and how lucky they were to have her and other mindless, couple-y words that they could forget about entirely when the next girl came along. It was always in-the-moment things, not advice to hold themselves to.

Maybe this charmer wasn't so bad, after all.

"Yeah, well… men, I guess. I've had a shitty history. But that's a long story."

"Enlighten me. I have the time."

"…Alright. Well, my first boyfriend cheated on me, the one after that was abusive, my next one dumped me because I changed for the better and he didn't like it, and then I started dating Tyler. He made me feel loved like never had been before. Until he left over and over again, and I figured out that he didn't really care about me as much as I thought that he did. I fell in love, he fell in lust. But whatever. That's over and done with, and I guess I don't even need closure now that I've taken it out on you."

"Well, personally, I believe that he still deserves to hear that verbal slaughter that you dished out on me, but I suppose that's up to you."

A smile worked its way onto Caroline's face, and in a very rare moment in her life, she felt genuinely happy. And she wanted to keep that feeling.

"As much as I would love to, I would much rather keep talking to you."

"Is that so?"

"Don't take that as more than it is. Being a more welcome presence than Tyler is a low bar."

"Ouch, love. How can I acquit myself?"

"Mmm, you'll have to let me think about it. I'm a planner, you know. Very ESFJ. Never P."

"Interesting. I've always been told I'm an ENTJ."

"Those aren't very compatible, from what I remember."

"Luckily I've never been one to believe in statistics of compatibility."

"Should I feel lucky? I'm not sure I know you well enough for that."

"Love, you should feel _very_ lucky."

Only after Caroline can't find a response does she realize just how easily the words had been coming. It was as natural as her teasing conversations with Stefan, or the late-night giggling sessions at Bonnie's house. It's surreal just how at ease this near-stranger makes her feel. It doesn't feel like the dangerous kind, like he's trying to lower her guard. She'd had _plenty_ of encounters with those kinds of conversations. No, this is more like he makes her feel… safe. At home.

"Dinner over, yet?"

"Perhaps, but I can still hear them downstairs. It sounds like they've moved into the sitting room."

There is a slight pause, and Caroline can practically see his smirk.

"Don't tell me you're trying to get rid of me? You'll find it's more difficult than you can imagine. I am _quite_ stubborn."

"I can imagine! No, I'm just… I don't know. I don't usually do this."

"What, misdial a number, give a stranger a royal lashing, and save them from their family dinner?"

"No. Well, yes, but not entirely. I'm… As I said, I'm not lucky in love. I never have been. I have a lot of great friends that are guys, but that's it. My exes are all assholes who only chose me because their first option wasn't available, and I just… I live in this constant state of being second best and it sucks, being imperfect no matter what you do, you know?"

"…Trust me, love, I know that all too well. I am the bastard child, after all. The only bastard child in a group of seven children. My not-really-father hasn't taken too kindly to that, believe it or not."

A familiar pang echoed in Caroline's chest, the kind that she knew signaled that her heart was breaking for Klaus, no matter how little she knew him. She supposed that was one of her new weaknesses that came with letting go of her self-interest: she was beyond overly-empathetic.

"…I'm sorry. I get that, to a degree. My best friend is this wonder child who can do no wrong, and guys just fall at her feet. Nothing is ever mine with her. My second boyfriend is dating her after pining for her as long as he's known her, my third wanted her but settled for me, Stefan is her ex, and she always expects Bonnie to side with her over me. Nothing is mine except for Tyler. And now Tyler isn't mine anymore, either. Look, I know you don't know me very well, but from what you do know, is there something wrong with me? Because… I just can't do it anymore."

"If no one can see how incredible you are, that's on them."

"Yeah right."

"Truly. I may not have met you in person, but I can tell that you're beautiful, you're strong, and you're full of light. I enjoy you, even if no one else does."

"…Thank you."

"My pleasure."

They fall into a comfortable silence for a moment, the only sounds being each other's breathing. But for once, the ever chatty person that she is, Caroline doesn't mind. It's almost nice to just stay like this, having a conversation void of expectations with someone she'll probably never hear from again.

Of course, as with all other things in her life, the moment is ruined by the front door swinging open with a bang. Elena and Bonnie enter, the former carrying a grocery bag plump full of snacks and the later carting a stack of movies.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Bonnie plops down on the couch next to Caroline, setting the movies on the coffee table and wrapping Caroline in a hug. The blonde keeps the phone to her ear, determined to at least give Klaus a proper goodbye after he'd humored her for so long.

"Elena told me about what happened with Tyler, and I remembered that when Dean cheated on you, we had a weekend-long sleepover with musicals and wine coolers Elena snatched from her parents' stash. I figured the same might be called for now."

Caroline throws an arm around Bonnie, a grin stuck on her face. Caroline might not be Elena's first choice, but she is certainly Bonnie's.

"Sounds great. Just hang on one second, I need to finish up this call."

Pushing herself to her feet, Caroline breezes into the kitchen, huddling herself in the corner and talking quietly. The last thing she needs right now is for Elena to judge her life choices.

"Hey, sorry about that. I should get going, though."

"Wonder child best friend?"

"And my other best friend, the one you probably heard. Bonnie's a sweetheart."

"She sounds more tolerable than this 'Elena' girl, anyway."

"Maybe. But I love them both like sisters, so neither of them are going anywhere anytime soon. You, on the other hand…"

"Yes, I know. You're sending me back to the wolves."

"Sorry. But for what it's worth… it was really nice talking to you. Even if you were a wrong number."

"It was the same for me. Goodbye."

"Caroline."

"…What?"

"My name is Caroline."

"…Then, goodbye, Caroline."

"Goodbye, Klaus."

Caroline hangs up the phone, and the disappointment that settles in her chest shocks her. She had been talking with Klaus for less than an hour, but the attachment that she developed for him is undeniable.

She's never been one to believe in love at first sight, much less love at first phone call. But. maybe there's something to that whole phenomenon after all.

"So what's first on the showing list?"

"I was thinking Les Miserables. That fine with you?"

"You know I'm always a slut for Anne Hathaway!"

Caroline all but vaults over the back of the couch, tackling Bonnie on her way over. The pair collapse onto the cushions, dissolving into a fit of giggles as Elena finishes setting up the movie before dropping down on top of both of them.

Maybe this day hasn't been so bad, after all.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I haven't updated _A Queen Fit For A King_ in a while. Whoops. Buuuuut I still have no idea how to get from point B to point D, so for now, that story's staying where it is. Instead, to partially make up for it, I finished up this piece that I started back in February of last year. Hopefully, it's good enough, and not too OOC. I tried, I really did. And I have an epilogue partially written, so I'll post that… no. I'm not giving a definite time, because those never seem to work out. I'll post it soon, okay? Promise.


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